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To accept donations automatically through PayPal, create a donation route and let donors choose a recurring gift—such as an automatic monthly donation—when they give. PayPal’s Donate button supports recurring donations, but it does not silently turn a one-time contribution into repeat charges. The donor authorizes the recurring payment and can change or cancel it.
Choose a PayPal donation route
PayPal offers hosted donation pages, campaigns, shareable links, QR codes, and website Donate buttons. Choose based on where donors will encounter your request and how much control over presentation you need. PayPal says hosted donation pages and links can be set up online without technical skills.
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| Route | Useful when | What to consider |
|---|---|---|
| Hosted donation page | You want a PayPal-hosted destination to share directly. | PayPal’s US donation page says a personal account can create a page; a business account offers more update and customization features. |
| Campaign, shareable link, or QR code | You want donors to reach a donation flow from a campaign, message, or printed code. | These options let you share a donation route without embedding a button on your site. |
| Website Donate button | You have a website and want the donation flow to start from a button on a page. | PayPal’s button supports a donor’s choice to make an automatic monthly donation. PayPal UK’s setup guidance expects a business account for website-button setup. |
PayPal lists these routes but does not identify one as best for every organization. The available setup and account requirements can vary by country.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsSet up recurring donations with a website button
- Check your account and market. Review the donation features available in your PayPal account. PayPal’s US page describes donation pages for personal accounts, with more customization on business accounts; its UK website-button guidance expects a business account. Do not assume that personal accounts everywhere can create website buttons.
- Create a Donate button. Follow PayPal’s donation-button setup guidance and configure the donation options available for your account. PayPal’s help article says: “To receive recurring donations, simply set up a Donate button and integrate it into your site.” (PayPal Help: How do I accept donations with PayPal?)
- Integrate the button into your website. Add it to the page where you explain your organization or campaign and invite support. Follow the integration instructions PayPal provides for your account rather than assuming every site uses the same implementation.
- Explain the donor’s choice. Make clear that recurring donations are optional and that donors choose whether to authorize an automatic monthly gift. A one-time donation should remain one-time unless the donor selects and approves recurring giving.
- Test the donor journey. Check that the button appears and opens the intended PayPal donation flow. Confirm that the recurring option and one-time option are presented as expected in your market before sharing the page widely.
Use a hosted page or link instead
If you do not need an embedded website button, create the donation page, campaign, or shareable link available in your account, then share its URL or QR code with supporters. PayPal says its hosted page and link routes can be set up online without technical skills. Check the finished donor flow and describe whether contributions are one-time or recurring so donors understand what they are authorizing.
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Manage changes and cancellations
PayPal says both the organization and the donor can control automatic payments in their respective profile settings, including changing the amount or cancelling. Tell recurring donors how to find PayPal’s payment controls, and review your organization’s own profile controls when you need to adjust or stop an automatic donation arrangement. The exact labels and available options can depend on the account and market.
Accounts, charity eligibility, and fees
- Account capabilities vary: US guidance describes donation pages for personal accounts and additional page editing and customization for business accounts. UK guidance says a business account is expected for website-button setup. Verify the requirements shown for your own country and account.
- Charity rates are not automatic: PayPal says eligible charities may receive lower transaction rates, but eligibility requires confirmation and can depend on local rules. Check with PayPal whether your organization qualifies.
- Fees vary: PayPal’s donation page says there are no setup or cancellation fees, while transaction rates apply. Rates and charity qualification are market-specific and may change, so consult PayPal’s current terms for your location before estimating proceeds.
Troubleshooting
- You cannot find a recurring option: Confirm that you are using a Donate button route and check the features available for your account and country. PayPal’s guidance does not establish identical capabilities for every market.
- You cannot create or customize the page or button: Check whether your account type meets the requirements shown in your country. PayPal’s US and UK guidance describes different account capabilities for different donation routes.
- A donor wants to change or stop a recurring gift: PayPal says automatic payments can be managed from the donor’s profile settings. Direct the donor to those controls; the organization also has its own profile controls.
- The amount received is lower than expected: Check the transaction rate applicable to your market and whether your organization has confirmed eligibility for any charity rate. Do not assume a discounted rate applies without PayPal’s confirmation.
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